Husband and wife councillors John Kingsbury and Linda Kemeny failed to declare shareholdings in property company

The leader of Woking Borough Council has apologised for failing to declare shareholdings in a property company.

A complaint has been sent to monitoring officers at both the borough council and Surrey County Council, alleging Councillor John Kingsbury and his wife, Cllr Linda Kemeny, had not declared their interests in Double K Properties Ltd.

Members of the council are required to register a range of financial and personal interests, which include employment and business activities and property and share ownership.

Companies House lists county councillor for Woking South West, Cllr Kemeny and Cllr Kingsbury as directors of the company, and its registered office is in Hale End, Hook Heath.

However, according to the respective council websites, neither councillor has declared an interest in Double K Properties Ltd.

The letter of complaint, penned by former Liberal Democrat councillor Philip Goldenberg, reads: “According to the websites of both Surrey County Council and Woking Borough Council as at today’s date, both Ms Kemeny and Mr Kingsbury have made nil declarations as to a share of more than 1% in a company having a place of business in the relevant council’s area.

“However, the Companies House website shows that Ms Kemeny and Mr Kingsbury are the sole directors and shareholders in a property dealing company called Double K Properties Limited, which they jointly formed in 2005 and whose registered office is at 10 Hale End aforesaid, at which address Ms Kemeny is on the electoral register”.

However, in a joint statement released to the Woking Advertiser, they said it was a "simple oversight" for which they will apologise and correct.

Cllr Kingsbury said: “On Tuesday February 4, my wife, county councillor Linda Kemeny, and I received notice from our respective council monitoring officers that Philip Goldenberg, former Lib Dem councillor, had made a complaint under our Members’ Codes of Conduct.

“The complaint related to the fact that we had failed to declare our shareholdings in a company called Double K Properties Limited that has its registered office in Woking.

“The company was originally registered in West Molesey but, following Linda moving to Woking, it was re-registered in Woking in December 2011.

“It has not traded since that time and has never undertaken business activity in Woking.

“We are sorry to have overlooked this matter as we both strive to maintain the very highest standards in our public lives.”

Cllr Kingsbury added: “I appreciate that Philip Goldenberg has done what he is entitled to do in law but this was a simple oversight for which we both apologise and will immediately correct.”

Mr Goldenberg has been told by a monitoring officer at Woking Borough Council that there are adopted arrangements for dealing with standards allegations under the Localism Act 2011.

His complaint will be reviewed and it will be decided whether it merits a formal investigation.

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She has been editorial director of the online and print titles in Surrey and north-east Hampshire since 2007. Marnie previously worked at the BBC as a producer for 5 Live, having moved to national radio from BBC Sussex and Surrey.